


Faithfully

by Trickster_Angel



Series: Louder than Sirens, Louder than Bells - Miraculous Ladybug [3]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Episode: s03 Silence | Silencer, F/M, Feelings, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2020-01-28
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:28:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22152541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trickster_Angel/pseuds/Trickster_Angel
Summary: When Marinette was asked to design the costumes for Kitty Section, she had no idea what she was getting into.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: Louder than Sirens, Louder than Bells - Miraculous Ladybug [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/599839
Comments: 13
Kudos: 79
Collections: Louder Than Sirens Louder Than Bells





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is part 3 in the Miraculous Ladybug LTSLTB series. I highly recommend you read Team and Burn before Faithfully. The rest of the stories in this series do not need to be read to understand this story. But if you enjoy the premise, I recommend you do read them. ^_^

_Oh, girl, you stand by me._

_I'm forever yours, faithfully._

_Faithfully, Journey_

* * *

The last bell rang. The students gathered their belongings and hurried to leave the building, another school day over. 

Marinette walked out with Alya, who was on Nino's arm, who walked with Adrien. Now that Marinette was over her perpetual stutter when Adrien was around, the friend group had publicly grown closer. But the dynamics were very different in private. 

A few months prior, Marinette and Adrien had found out they were soulmates. Unfortunately, Marinette had been Ladybug at the time so no one knew they were soulmates. Which led to them acting distant in public. The song in Marinette's head was always so sad when she thought about it. 

But at least they were friends. So on days like this, they could easily hang out together without attracting suspicion. Even if Alya and Nino were walking between them.

"Marinette!"

The group turned around to see Rose, Juleka, Ivan, and Mylene. Rose had called her. 

"What's up?" Marinette asked.

"Can we talk to you?" Ivan asked. 

Marinette looked back at her friends, and then back at the other group. "Sure. I'll be right there."

She hurried over. 

"You remember Kitty Section, right?" Mylene asked.

It was hard to forget. It was the day Marinette had met Luka. She'd been interested in him, she couldn't deny that. But now that she knew she was soulmates with Adrien, he hadn't even crossed her mind. "Yeah, I remember."

"We're looking for someone to do costume designs for the band," Rose said excitedly, "Would you do it, Marinette? Please?" 

"Your designs are really good," Juleka said.

"Sure, I'll do it," Marinette said. She liked helping her friends.

The band all smiled. 

"Thank you! Thank you!" Rose said.

"Can you come over tomorrow?" Juleka asked.

"Sure. I'll see you then," Marinette said. She ran back to her friends. She could hear Adrien's confusion in her head. But she was happy and she hoped he could hear it.

"So, what's going on?" Alya asked.

"They want me to design the costumes for Kitty Section," Marinette said.

"Oooooo. So you'll be hanging out with the whole band right?"

"Uh, yeah." Marinette knew where this was going.

"So Luka will be there."

"Yeah," Marinette said, dragging out the word. She was getting sick of Alya's talk of finding her a boyfriend. Mostly because she had a secret one.

"Don't sound so dejected. He was clearly into you last time. You're the only single one now, Mari." Alya looked at Nino and then briefly to Adrien, who averted her gaze.

"There's nothing wrong with being single," Marinette said.

"You shouldn't tease her so much, Alya," Adrien said. He felt as uncomfortable about this as Marinette did. The song dipped into a lower tone and played slower. Marinette didn't like it.

"Alright, I'll stop. I'm just saying."

"It's cool to not be in a relationship," Nino said encouragingly.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Alya asked. 

Nino took off and Alya ran after him. 

Adrien and Marinette exchanged a glance. In public, while their relationship was still a secret, that was all they could do.

* * *

The next day after school, Marinette walked with the rest of Kitty Section to Juleka's house. Even before they got there, Marinette could hear the sound of a guitar. Luka must have been practicing already. The sound was fast like a heartbeat. It was almost like she was hearing the song outside her head. She enjoyed it.

They walked onto the gangplank. The sound of their shoes on the wood did not stop Luka’s playing.

"Mom, Luka, we're here," Juleka called. 

"Welcome aboard, mateys," Anarka said, "Marinette, good to see you again. Luka'll be glad to see you too."

"Mom," Luka said, the music cutting off abruptly. 

Rose giggled.

"Good to see you too," Marinette said. 

"Marinette is going to help us with the costume designs," Juleka said.

"You're always welcome here, Marinette," Anarka said, "I'm going below deck. Have fun."

Luka appeared the moment his mother left. "Hey, Marinette."

"Hey, Luka." It had been a while since she'd seen him. The last time had been for Clara Nightingale's music video.

"I'm glad you're designing the costumes for us. It's a big help."

"I'm always happy to help," she replied. 

"We should get to work," Juleka said softly. 

"You wanna listen to our rehearsal, Marinette?" Rose asked excitedly.

"Yeah, that sounds great."

And it did sound great. It was clear they'd worked hard on their music. Screamo wasn't usually Marinette's choice in music but she couldn't help but enjoy herself. It gave her a few ideas for costume designs. 

While the band practiced, she did some sketches. She hoped they'd like some of her designs. 

* * *

The next day after school, everyone was surprised to see Luka waiting for them. "I have something to show you." 

They all gathered around his phone. It was a video from Bob Roth, announcing a competition. 

"With your music, you could easily win," Marinette said.

"And with your costumes, we'll look amazing," Luka agreed. 

"The deadline's in two weeks," Ivan said.

"Then we better get to work," Marinette said.

* * *

After a few days of working on designs, she showed the band her favorites. They all agreed on cat themed shoulder pads and masks. It seemed to represent Kitty Section's style of music the best. 

Marinette was spending almost every day at the Couffaine house working on the costumes. She felt a little bad about it, since she should be spending that time with her soulmate. But Adrien was understanding and they spent time together at night. It was the only time either one of them was really free. 

It certainly kept Marinette busy. But she was having fun. She liked Kitty Section's music and she'd been getting closer to Luka. She was glad she'd agreed to do this.

* * *

Marinette ran to the Couffaine's houseboat. She was so late. She could already hear Luka practicing. It wasn't really her fault, there had been an akuma but still, it wasn't like she could use that as much of an excuse. She still had quite a bit of work to do on the costumes and the deadline was fast approaching. 

She leapt over the gangplank and hit the deck. 

The sound of a guitar stopped. Luka raced towards her. "Marinette?"

"I'm so late. I'm sorry. The akuma held me up. But I'm here now." Marinette realized then that Luka was the only one there. 

"I'm glad you're here safe," Luka said, "But we were going to meet tomorrow."

Right. She knew that. She'd gotten the dates mixed up. "Right. I'm sorry. The akuma really threw me. I'll see you-"

She turned to leave but Luka caught her arm. "You don't have to go," he said, "If you want to stay, you can. Juleka is out with Rose right now and my mom's out too. It'd just be the two of us but we could work on the costumes."

Marinette had budgeted this afternoon off. She had nothing else to do. And Adrien was busy until nighttime. "Sure, I'll stay. I want to make sure those costumes are done on time."

They broke out the craft supplies and got to work. They were painting the masks. Marinette hoped to move onto the rest of the outfits later. 

"When did you learn to play the guitar?" Marinette asked politely.

"I was three when my mom taught me." He smiled. "Jules loved to hear me play. She'd start smiling and laughing. It's my first memory."

"What a sweet first memory," Marinette said, "Mine was almost falling down the stairs when I was four or something." She laughed a little but heard nothing from Luka. She looked up at him and saw him looking at her, horrified. 

"Were you okay?" He asked.

"I was fine. My mom stopped me." It was sweet that he was worried about her four year old self. "But I also remember playing in the flour from the bakery. I think my mom still has pictures of that."

"That sounds cute." 

"That's what my parents said. It's kinda embarrassing though."

"I'm sure my mom took embarrassing pictures of me too," Luka said, "What do you think?" He held up the mask. It looked really good.

"It looks great."

"Only thanks to your great designs. I'm really glad you agreed to help us."

"I'm having a lot of fun with it," Marinette said, "It's fun to hang out with the band. Do you have the red paint?"

Luka looked around. "Here you go.”

“Thanks.”

She continued painting the mask. It was a good day for sitting outside. The masks were finished within a few hours and they started working on the rest of the costumes. It was nice to hang out with Luka. They spent the entire time talking.

Luka went inside to get some more materials. Marinette checked her phone. She'd been there for hours.

"Hey, Marinette, do you like pizza?" Luka called from inside the house.

"Definitely," she called back. 

"I'm gonna order some for dinner."

"You don't have to do that," she said, "I can just go."

Luka walked outside. "I mean, you can if you want to. But I'm gonna order the pizza anyway. It'd be great if you could stay."

"I'll stay. Thanks, Luka."

The pizza came half an hour later. They ate on the deck of the boat, watching the sun set over the buildings. It was a wonderfully cool night.

"I can't believe it's already evening," Marinette said, "It really flew by."

"I know. That always seems to happen when I'm with you. You're a cool person, Marinette."

She smiled. Was he coming onto her? No, definitely not. Why would she think that? "I'm glad we made a lot of progress. We'll be ready before the deadline. I'm sure Bob Roth will choose you guys. Your music is great." She hoped it didn't sound as awkward to him as it did to her.

"Your costumes will be the deciding factor," Luka replied with a smile, "I really appreciate you doing this."

"I really hope it helps. I want you guys to win."

They talked for a while longer, until Juleka came across the gangplank. 

"Hey, Marinette," She said.

"Hey, Juleka," Marinette replied, "We were working on the costumes."

"Marinette's a hard worker. We got a lot done. We should be ready to film by Sunday," Luka said.

"That'd be great," Juleka said.

"I should head out," Marinette said. She stood up.

"Let me walk you home," Luka said, standing up as well. 

"You don't have to," Marinette said. She was going to see Adrien after she got home. It was almost time for their "date". 

"I want to, if you'll let me," Luka said.

She couldn't refuse him. He was being so nice to her. "That's really sweet of you. Thanks."

They headed out. It seemed to be the perfect night for a walk. 

"Thanks for dinner," Marinette said, "It was really good."

"It's the least I can do after everything you're doing for us. I hope this goes well. It could really put Kitty Section on the map."

Marinette loved the way his eyes lit up when he spoke about his music. She knew just how important this competition was to him.

"I'm sure it'll work out," she said.

“We have some videos on Youtube and we’re on some social media but we haven’t taken off yet. This could really help.”

“I could share your social media,” Marinette volunteered, “It might not help much but-”

“No, that _would_ help. It’s exactly what we need. Thank you.”

“It’s no problem.”

They arrived at her house so quickly. She liked spending time with him.

"Well, this is me," Marinette said as they approached the bakery, "Thank you for walking me home."

"It's no problem. Thanks for staying so long to work on the costumes. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"I'll be there."

"See you then, Marinette. Have a good night."

"You too, Luka."

She waited outside until he walked away. Once he was out of view, she hurried inside.

"So, who was that?" Her father asked. He was covered in flour and wiping down the counter.

"That's Luka. He's Juleka's older brother." Marinette gave him a blank look. "Don't get any ideas. He's just a friend."

"Of course, sweetie," he said with a smile.

Marinette ran upstairs. She threw her bag on her fainting couch. 

"You seem to be happy," Tikki said.

"I am. I had a great time with Luka. And now I'll have a great time with Adrien."

"You're lucky to have so many friends."

"I really am. Let's head out. Tikki, spots on!"

Ladybug went out on her balcony and swung her way across town. As expected, Adrien's window was left open. He was sitting at his desk and turned around when he heard her get closer. 

She swung in. "Ready for our date, Kitty?"

"You know I am," he replied. They kissed in greeting. 

Ladybug wrapped an arm around him and swung out the window. They didn't go far; just to the roof. It guaranteed their privacy. 

"You sounded so happy today," Adrien said, "What was it?"

"Luka and I spent some time working on the costumes for Kitty Section," Ladybug said, "We had fun."

"I wish I could have been there," Adrien said, "Father's trying to keep my schedule packed. He wants these visits at a minimum."

"At least he understands now," Ladybug said. Nothing like getting his son akumatized to show how much he wanted to see his soulmate.

"Yeah. He's backed off. He disapproves but he's backed off. It's really all I can ask for."

"Someday this won't be a problem anymore," Ladybug said.

"Not until we defeat Hawk Moth. But we'll get there. And we'll be free."

Ladybug was looking forward to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll update this story on Mondays. Thank you for reading. Please leave a comment or kudos if you like the story so far. :)


	2. Chapter 2

_ Serve your twisted enemy, _

_ So you might earn forgiveness. _

_ You know your whole world is waiting. _

_ So why can't you speak? _

_ A New Way To Bleed, Evanescence _

* * *

A few weeks had passed. Marinette find herself hanging out at the Couffaine house more often. They'd paid her with the money they'd made selling their songs. Marinette thought it was unnecessary but they insisted. They also commissioned her to make tee shirts for the band. So she continued to spend time with them.

And she and Luka were only growing closer. She was happy to have him as a friend. 

It was during one practice that she mentioned the competition. They'd submitted their video, a stellar performance with costumes and choreography. They'd all been pretty confident when they'd sent it along.

When they finished their song, Marinette checked the band's email. There were no new emails in the almost entirely empty inbox. 

"We'll hear something soon," Luka said, putting a hand on her shoulder, "They probably got a lot of videos. It'll take awhile before they can pick a winner."

"I hope so," Marinette said.

"Hey, guys," Ivan called. They all gathered at the windows. On a screen on the television studio tower, was XY, in a poor replica of  _ their  _ costumes, playing an awful version of  _ their _ music.

"That's not fair!" Marinette exclaimed. She couldn't stop herself. She was furious! Not only did they not win the competition, but their costumes and music had been stolen. "That's your music." She looked at Luka. For the first time, since she'd known him, he didn't look calm. He looked  _ angry _ .

"That's your costume," he said.

"Let's go down there," Marinette suggested.

* * *

Despite being a television studio, the security wasn't that strong. With the help of Juleka, Rose, and Ivan, Luka and Marinette managed to sneak inside. They found the right floor and listened at the door for a moment.

"This is a big change from your last album," Alec said, "How did you come up with this?"

"It only took me, like, five minutes," XY replied

"Five minutes?!" Luka hissed, "Maybe to steal it."

Marinette walked in. "Mr. Roth." She marched right up to him. "I'm Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I sent you the video of Kitty Section."

"What is Kitty Section? I've never heard of it," he said. XY joined him.

"Allow me to refresh your memory." She pulled up the video she'd sent him on her phone and shoved it in his face. "The music, the costumes, it's all the same."

"It's not the same. Maybe we were a bit inspired."

"A bit inspired?" Luka demanded, "It's exactly the same." He ripped the mask off XY's head.

"We don't want a lot," Marinette said, "Just acknowledge our music and let us play."

"And then you'll want royalties. No, I've never heard of Kitten Division."

"This isn't working," Luka said, "Let's go, Marinette."

"No. I'm not going to let him get away with this." She was furious. She wouldn't let their hard work go unacknowledged. She turned to Bob Roth. "If you don't admit the truth, I will." She started to walk towards the camera. 

He grabbed her. "If you do that, I'll make sure everyone knows  _ you _ plagiarized  _ us _ ," Roth said.

Marinette was friends with Jagged Stone. She doubted he would get far with that lie but it outraged her. How dare he threaten her for calling him out for plagiarizing  _ them _ . She ripped her arm out of his grasp.

"Do you even know how long it took for me to copy your costume?" XY asked.

Marinette was about to talk back when a figure walked past her. Someone dressed in purple and wearing a helmet. They put a finger on XY's lips and shushed him. Instead of that being the end of it, a little octopus like creature escaped from his mouth. 

XY tried to talk to the figure but he couldn't speak.

The figure put a hand to where his ear would be under the helmet. The creature was sucked up into the helmet.

The figure was definitely an akuma. And a quick glance behind Marinette told her who it was. Luka was gone. He had to be the akuma.

The crowd in the room scattered. Marinette needed to hide. She had to transform and stop Luka.

He looked at her and she felt a chill run down her spine.

Luka looked at her sadly. "Don't worry, Marinette. I would never hurt you. I will use the power Hawk Moth has given me to restore justice. I will force Bob Roth to admit what he has done to you and Kitty Section." Luka used his hand to talk. And the voice that came out was XY's. It was disconcerting.

"Don't do that, Luka. That's revenge, not justice. And if you team up with Hawk Moth, you'll have to face Chat Noir and Ladybug."

"Chat Noir and Ladybug? Where were they when we needed them? As of now, Silencer is laying down the law of silence." 

She gasped quietly. Luka was such a kind, calm person. She could hardly believe that Silencer was the boy she'd come to know the past few weeks. 

Silencer seemed to sense her hesitation. "You’re the most extraordinary girl, Marinette. Clear as a musical note and sincere as a melody. You’re the music that’s been playing inside my head since the day we first met. I won’t let anything happen to you."

Marinette blacked out.

When she came to, her head was pounding. The song was rushing and it was miserable. Adrien had to be upset about something. She had no idea. There were undertones of contentment in the song. She hadn't heard it behave like this before, like it was opposing itself. She opened her eyes.

Silencer was staring down at her. 

Marinette leapt up and backed away from him. She'd been lying on his lap. The song didn't change at all. It felt almost like it was fighting itself. There was contentment, but there was so much sadness mixed into it. And another sound Marinette couldn't identify. Her head was so chaotic. It was like the first time she’d ever heard it. She just wanted it to stop. 

Silencer looked at her sadly. "Marinette."

"You're an akuma, Luka," Marinette replied. The song was getting louder and sadder. 

"I won't hurt you. You are my soulmate, Marinette."

"No. I'm not." She didn't have another soulmate. She couldn't! The odds were astronomical.

Silencer approached her. There really wasn't anywhere for Marinette to go. So she stood still. She tilted her head down so it'd be harder for him to steal her voice.

Silencer placed a hand on her cheek. The song didn’t change at all but that wasn't what she focused on. Instead, she heard screaming. It was quiet in the back of her mind, almost completely lost in the chaos of the song. But she heard it. The same pained screaming she heard when Adrien was akumatized. Except now she heard Luka's voice. 

Luka Couffaine was her soulmate. 

"Don't you see now?" Silencer asked as he let her go, "We are soulmates. And as your soulmate, I will make sure Bob Roth pays."

"Luka, no!"

But he ran off. 

Marinette ran into the hallway and to a bathroom. She hid in a stall. 

Tikki emerged from her purse. 

"Tikki, Luka is my soulmate!" Marinette said. 

"You have to help him," Tikki said, "It's the only way his pain will stop."

She was so confused. How did this happen? She'd grown close to Luka but not that close! This couldn't be happening.

"Marinette, you need to transform."

That snapped her out of it. Above all else, she was Ladybug. Soulmate or not, she had to free Luka. "You're right. Tikki, spots on!"

Ladybug rushed up to the roof. That was where all the akumas seemed to go. And sure enough, she saw Bob Roth and Silencer. Silencer was about to steal Bob Roth's voice.

Ladybug threw her yo-yo and it wrapped around Silencer's arm. He jerked back and noticed her. Bob Roth got the opportunity to move away. 

"Luka-Silencer, this isn't right," she said as he went to attack her. "This is vengeance, not justice. You can give Hawk Moth the power back and let this go."

She got in front of Bob Roth. 

"You're a hero. You're supposed to protect me," Roth said. He grabbed her arms, just as Silencer got close. He put a finger to her lips and shushed her. The song didn’t change. There was too much pain, so much sadness and anger and it filled her up. Her heart broke for Luka. 

But then her voice left her body. Silencer sucked it up into his helmet.

"Well, that's what being a hero is all about," Roth said. He made his retreat from the scene. If he'd done that earlier, Ladybug would still have her voice. 

But it was just her and Silencer. She called for a lucky charm. Well, she did the motions for it but the yoyo smacked her on the head. She wouldn't be able to use her powers without her voice. 

Silencer came closer to her. "You can't use your lucky charm now that I have your voice." It was her own voice he used to talk. It was eerie.

Ladybug backed up until she was on the edge of the building. She needed Chat Noir. She wouldn't be able to defeat him alone. So she leapt off the ledge. She swung her yoyo around the pole of a billboard and pulled herself back up. 

Silencer walked up to the edge but he didn't see her, thankfully. 

The purple mask appeared around his eyes as Hawk Moth spoke to him. Then he said, "I will. But first, my revenge." Then he leapt off the building.

Ladybug texted Adrien. Just an SOS. But it was much easier to get in contact with him now that she knew she was also texting her partner. Then she ran off after Silencer. 

She got a message from Chat Noir quickly.  _ What's going on, my lady? :3c _

She rolled her eyes as she texted back.  _ Akuma. He's heading towards city hall. Meet me there. _

Sure enough, she watched Silencer run inside. She wanted to do something but she really needed Chat Noir to help. At least until she got her voice back. 

"Miss me, my lady?" Chat asked with a smile.

Ladybug hugged him. The chaos in her head calmed a little and she was able to think. She had to save Luka and protect everyone involved without her voice. But Chat Noir was there. So it would be okay.

"My lady?" 

She let go and typed out a message. 

Chat looked at it. "Bob Roh and XY stole your music? The akuma is Luka Couffaine? And he took your voice."

Ladybug nodded and typed some more. 

"You can't summon a lucky charm or detransform? So you're stuck as Ladybug until you get your voice back."

She nodded again.

Chat gave her a cheeky smile. The song took a playful beat. "You know, it'll be much easier for Adrien to date you then, if you're around all the time."

Ladybug threw her yoyo up in the air. After a few moments, it landed on Chat's head.

"Ow! Okay, I deserved that. So what's the plan?"

She typed it out.  _ Silencer has my voice. If I can make him say lucky charm, it should still work. _

"Okay, then-"

A song was getting louder. And Chat was right there. 

Ladybug pulled Chat away from the building. Silencer jumped near them. He turned but didn't seem to notice them. Ladybug was surprised. She could hear him. The pride, the elation. But most of all, the screaming. So close to Silencer, it was like Luka was screaming in her ear. He sounded so pained; all she wanted to do was help him. But Silencer leapt away. 

"Let's go-" Chat started to jump but Ladybug caught him by his tail. If they followed him too closely, he would definitely notice her. 

She texted Chat, saying they shouldn't get too close.

He read her message. "Of course, my lady. We'll stay further back." She was so happy he trusted her so completely. 

He looked at her. "Is everything okay?"

She held her head.

"Headache?"

She nodded.

"Is it the song?"

She looked down and didn't speak. She couldn't, but she didn't even want to. And now was not the time to explain.

Chat Noir hugged her. The song changed. Luka's screaming faded into the background of her mind. Chat's song became louder and happier. It made her feel like it would all be okay. 

"Is this better?" He asked.

She nodded. But then she gestured towards where Silencer ran. 

"Okay." He let her go but picked up her hand. "Will this be okay?"

She gave him a coy smile. Then she texted him.  _ If people see, it will look bad. _

He sighed. The song became sadder. "I know. I just want to help."

She nodded and smiled at him.

"We should get going. We don't want Luka to hurt anyone."

By the time they got across town, Bob Roth was seated in front of a camera and 'Alec' was making an announcement. They hurried inside.

Right outside the doors, Chat stopped Ladybug. "Shouldn't we wait for this to happen? I mean, he'll confess to everything, right? Then Kitty Section will get the recognition they deserve."

Ladybug texted him.

"'A coerced confession isn't a confession and it's not justice. It's vengeance.' You're right." He kicked the door in and went after Silencer. 

Ladybug grabbed Bob Roth and dragged him out of the room. She led him into a dressing room. Hopefully Chat had distracted Silencer enough that he didn't see them run in here.

She looked for something that could work for her plan. She went for a lamp on the table and started to paint it red.

"This is all that band's fault. None of this would have happened if they hadn't gotten involved," Bob Roth complained.

She sighed. This man was the scum of the earth.

"And what are you doing? I thought that was magic. Some hero you are."

Once she was done, she turned around to him. She unrolled the tape.

Taping Bob Roth to the chair felt really good.

She ran out of the room with her lamp and met up with Chat Noir. 

"I can tell you're pleased with something," Chat said.

She just smiled at him. 

Right before the stage, Silencer blocked their way.

"You're too late," Chat said, "My lady got her lucky charm." 

She pointed the lamp at him menacingly.

"What? That's impossible. How do you have your-"

She threw her yoyo in the air.

"Lucky charm?"

The magic worked. A vacuum cleaner fell into her arms. 

"Okay, I'm glad it worked but I don't see how that's gonna help more than a lamp," Chat said.

But he faced forward, and ran at Silencer, moving the fight back into the studio. Ladybug ran in after them, looking for a way to use her lucky charm. 

She saw an outlet and Chat's belt and knew what she needed to do.

She signaled to Chat for his belt, which he threw back to her.

"Cataclysm!" 

Ladybug assembled her vacuum. In that time, Silencer got on top of Chat and stole his voice. A octopus-like green creature came out of his mouth. Chat was anxious, the song becoming faster. But he trusted her and she could feel it. 

Ladybug used her vacuum to take his voice herself. And while Silencer was surprised, Chat flipped him over. He touched his helmet and the entire thing fell apart. Luka's hair looked even bluer in his akuma form. 

The screaming finally stopped.

All the voices came out at high speed and were sucked up by the vacuum. Ladybug caught hers and stuffed it in her mouth. "Aaahhh." It was back.

"No more evil doing for you little akuma. Time to de-evilize." She caught it in her yoyo. "Gotcha." She released it. "Bye, bye, little butterfly."

Chat walked over to her, holding his throat. He opened his mouth but no sound came out. 

"Hmm. Maybe I'll keep you like this. It'd stop all the puns at least."

Chat's shoulders slumped as he looked at her in annoyance. The song was just as annoyed.

She smiled at him. "Miraculous Ladybug!" 

Silencer turned back into Luka. Immediately, he grabbed his head. He felt so confused. And he was in pain. It hurt her to hear what he was going through.

"Help him, Chat?" Ladybug asked.

"Of course," he replied. He looked at her oddly but then went to Luka's side.

Ladybug hurried out of there. Her job was done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading. Please leave kudos and comments to keep an author fed. :) Next chapter will be out next Monday. See you then. :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song in this chapter is by New Order but I wrote this chapter to [the cover by New Years Day ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZRKi1TqgXA). Either way, I hope you enjoy it. :)

_ There's no sense in telling me, _

_ The wisdom of a fool will set you free. _

_ That's the way that it goes, and it's what nobody knows. _

_ Every day my confusion grows. _

_ Bizarre Love Triangle, New Order _

* * *

"Tikki, spots off!" Safe in her own bedroom, Ladybug became Marinette again. She sat on her fainting couch, head in her hands. She was finally free to process everything.

"What's wrong, Marinette?"

"You know, Tikki," Marinette replied. She couldn't help the sob that escaped her mouth. Her head sounded so chaotic. Happiness, worry, elation, concern. She couldn't even tell whose feelings were whose. 

Her head hurt. 

"You and Luka are soulmates," Tikki said. 

"We're soulmates," Marinette said, "I can't be Luka's soulmate. I'm Adrien's soulmate. I can't have two soulmates."

"Sometimes people have multiple soulmates," Tikki said, "It's really rare but it happens."

"I feel like I'm cheating on Adrien."

"It's not cheating. You can't help it."

"I didn't want another soulmate," Marinette said, "I was happy with just Adrien." She was starting to see the curse having a soulmate was described to be. 

"But you like Luka, don't you?" Tikki asked.

"I like him just fine. He's a nice guy and we're friends. I didn't want to be his soulmate. I didn't ask for this."

Her phone buzzed. She looked at it through blurry eyes.

_ Are you okay? I can hear you panicking _

"Tikki, I'm the worst," Marinette said and put her phone down. "What am I going to do about Adrien?"

"You can't help Luka being your soulmate. He will understand," Tikki said, "He loves you as much as you love him."

Marinette didn't really believe that he would be okay with this. She looked back at her phone and texted Adrien back.  _ I'm okay _

She heard him receive the text. His own panic was growing. And she could feel something constricting her chest. Was it Luka's feelings? The sound of two songs in her head was confusing and chaotic. She could focus on Adrien's after lots of practice but Luka's was different. It was all so loud.

"I don't want this," Marinette said.

"Be careful, Marinette," Tikki said, "If you keep this up, you're going to reject your soulmate."

Marinette looked up at her. "Reject him? What does that mean?"

"You humans don't seem to understand it can happen but you can reject your soulmate. If you're angry enough or hurt enough, you'll stop hearing the song."

"And that's it?" Marinette asked. That didn't sound so bad.

"No. Your soulmate, unless they reject you too, will hear the song in stereo. It'll be really painful for them."

Marinette didn't want that. Luka obviously cared about her. She didn't want to hurt him. But she didn't want to be stuck in a bizarre love triangle. 

"Adrien is going to hate me," Marinette said.

"He wouldn't," Tikki said.

"I don't think there's anything you could do to make me hate you, my lady."

Marinette moved to look at her bed. There was Chat Noir, lying down on her bed. Her skylight was open.

"Forgive the intrusion but it wasn't locked," Chat said. He hopped off the bed and hugged her. "I know you said you're okay but-"

Marinette hugged him back, burying her face in his chest. She couldn’t stop the tears from falling again. The elation of the song from holding him didn't stop Luka's pain. It didn't stop her own panic.

“Claws in.” She felt a hand stroking her hair. “It’s okay." His voice was so gentle, in such contrast to the swirl of emotions in her head. 

“You sound so conflicted,” Adrien said, “What’s going on? You had me really worried today. Your song sounds off.”

But Marinette couldn't answer. She felt so guilty. She was scaring Adrien and she was cheating on him, without even meaning to. How was she Luka's soulmate? How could she even explain that she was Luka's soulmate too?

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Adrien said, "You're not in danger, right?"

Marinette shook her head. "I'm not."

"And no one else is?"

Technically Luka would be. He was Ladybug's soulmate, whether he knew it or not. And he'd touched her. He knew. And that felt like a knot in her chest. 

It was already nearly unbearable to know Adrien was in danger because of her. But at least he was also Chat Noir. He could take care of himself. Luka didn't have a miraculous. She would have to protect him. And her secret was out. This was a disaster.

"No," she finally said. Not yet anyway. 

"Okay. Then you don't have to tell me. I'll be here when you're ready." Marinette nodded but she didn't let go. And he didn't either. She didn't know how long they stayed there as she cried into his arms. 

* * *

Marinette managed to convince her parents that she was sick and she stayed home from school. It certainly wasn't hard. Her head was killing her. She didn't want to leave her bed and face reality. 

As it turned out, Bob Roth spent some time yelling at Chat Noir and Luka after she'd left, in which he'd admitted that he'd stolen Kitty Section's music. When Chat Noir pointed out that he'd said that on live TV, he promised Kitty Section a contract and a chance to perform that night.

Marinette didn't go but she did watch it. It was okay. It was clear that Luka was distracted and the music suffered. It wasn't bad but it was a shame after he'd worked so hard for it. Her heart broke for him.

The rest of the day, she spent talking to Tikki and sleeping. It was the only time her mind was at ease.

* * *

The next day, the shock of the event had worn off. It was still difficult to concentrate with the pounding of drums in her ears but she had to get used to it. This would be the rest of her life.

School was even harder than it was before. Adrien's tones were concerned and Luka's were downright despondent. It broke her heart to hear him hurting. And that got filtered right over to Adrien, who worried about her more. It was a mess. The school day passed too slowly.

Marinette was thrilled when it was time for lunch. She couldn't get out of the school fast enough.

"Hey, Marinette," Juleka said, "Can I talk to you?"

Marinette panicked. She was pretty sure she knew what this was about. And she wasn't really ready to confront this yet. 

But how could she refuse? She needed to face the truth eventually. "Okay."

They walked into the girl's bathroom. Juleka checked every stall to make sure it was empty before she leaned herself against the door and spoke. "The other day, when my brother was akumatized, did you see anything," she paused for a moment, "unusual?"

"Like what?" Marinette asked.

"Did he talk to anyone? Did he act weird around them?"

"I wasn't around him for very long," Marinette said, "I'm sorry."

"If you saw anything, it's really important." Juleka looked to the side and back at Marinette. "I don't think he'd mind me telling you. You've gotten close lately. Luka found out he has a soulmate. But he was akumatized so he doesn't know who it is."

That hadn't occurred to Marinette. No one remembered anything when they were akumatized. Of course he didn't remember they were soulmates. Which also meant he didn't remember she was Ladybug. Relief swept over her.

"He's really worried about them. He had a panic attack two nights ago because of them. So if you know anything it would really help in finding them."

The relief disappeared and she felt horrible again. All her worrying caused Luka to have a panic attack. And he was still worrying about her. She could hear it. "I think I know who it is," Marinette said.

"Yeah?"

"Can I come over tonight? I'll tell him in person."

Juleka smiled. "Yeah. That'd be great. Thanks, Marinette." She paused. "I really appreciate you helping my brother."

"It's no problem. I wouldn't want him to worry."

The girls left the restroom and headed out for lunch. 

Marinette knew what she had to do. She had to tell Luka. But first, she had to tell Adrien.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Marinette, being a worrier, as usual. It'll all work out.   
> Thank you for reading. Please keep leaving comments and kudos if you're enjoying the story. And thank you for all the comments and kudos already left. They mean the world to me. See you next week for the finale. :)


	4. Chapter 4

_ Ladies and gentlemen, will you please stand? _

_ With every guitar string scar on my hand, _

_ I take this magnetic force of a man to be my lover. _

_ Lover, Taylor Swift _

* * *

Marinette spent most of the day worrying. She knew she had to do this. But that didn't make it easier. 

And it didn't tell her what to say. How was she going to explain to Adrien that she had another soulmate? How was she going to explain to Luka that she'd left him questioning for days?

The school day ended and she hurried home. Adrien sounded so worried about her but his afternoons were packed. She'd have to wait until later to talk to him. 

The wait was killer. She tried to do her homework but couldn't concentrate. She couldn't stop thinking about her soulmates.

But eventually night fell. It was time to come clean about everything. 

"Tikki, spots on!" 

Ladybug made her way over to the Agreste mansion. As always Adrien's window was open and he was waiting for her. Ladybug swung in.

"Hey," Adrien said. He didn't sound happy. And the song reflected that. He wasn't mad but concerned. 

"Spots off." Marinette looked at Adrien. "We need to talk."

"Are you gonna tell me what's wrong?" Adrien asked. The song was almost panicking. Marinette felt like she was being choked.

"Yes, I am." She took a deep breath. "When Luka became Silencer, he confessed that he loved me. And-" This part was so difficult to get out. "we found out that-" She took another breath. "Luka and I are soulmates."

The song screamed in anguish. That was exactly what she wanted to avoid. Her guilt only increased. 

Adrien looked so surprised. "Wow. That odds of that are-"

"Really,  _ really _ low? Yeah. Tikki said the same thing."

"What's it like for you? Do you still hear-"

"Your song? Of course! I still hear you, Adrien. I can hear how sad and confused you are."

"I just don't know what to think," he said, "But if it had to be anyone, I'm glad it's Luka. He's a really nice guy."

"He is," Marinette agreed. He wasn't a bad soulmate to have. If only she didn't have two!

"So what are you gonna do?"

"I don't wanna reject him. He doesn't deserve that. And I do like him. But not the same way I like you. I don't know."

"We could be in a polyamorous relationship," Adrien said, "You can be with both of us."

"And you'd be okay with that?" Marinette asked. She could still hear the song. It was confused, speeding along in its beats. But it didn't sound so sad anymore. Maybe it was just a knee-jerk reaction. She hoped so.

“Yeah. Luka’s a great guy. And I know it bothers you to have to hide this. At least with him, you won’t have to.”

“I won’t need to hide my relationship with him. But I still need to hide  _ you _ . I’d rather we can all be together.”

“I wish we could too,” Adrien said, “At least for now though, Marinette is with Luka, and Ladybug is with me and they’re not the same girl.”

But she was the same girl. And it broke her heart. She’d loved Adrien for a long time. And she did care about Luka, just not in the same way. Not yet, at least. Why was she allowed to be with him all the time, and not Adrien? It wasn’t fair.

“I’ll need to tell him I’m Ladybug,” Marinette said, “It’s not fair that I’d hide an entire relationship from him.”

“But you can’t tell him,” Tikki said, “You have to keep being Ladybug a complete secret.”

“Wait, didn’t he touch you when he was akumatized?" Adrien asked.

"Yeah but he doesn't remember anything."

"Does Hawk Moth know you’re Ladybug?”   
Marinette’s heart stopped.

“If he hasn’t attacked her family yet, he probably doesn’t know,” Plagg said.

Marinette forgot how to breathe.

“Plagg!” Adrien snapped.

“You could have said that in a nicer way,” Tikki chastised.

Marinette was seeing stars.

“Hawk Moth has never been able to read an akuma’s mind,” Adrien said, “We can see it when he communicates with them. Unless Silencer told him, he doesn’t know. And if he wanted to protect Marinette, I really doubt he would do that. And it’s even possible that he was too confused with the akuma powers and the new soulmate bond to even realize it was you.”

Marinette took a breath. Adrien was right. When Adrien had been akumatized, she never heard a change in the song when they touched. And when she thought back to it, she hadn't heard a change when Silencer stole her voice either. So Hawk Moth didn't know. 

“I should tell Master Fu,” Marinette said, “If there’s even a small chance my secret identity was discovered.”

“Then the new Ladybug would be Adrien’s soulmate,” Plagg said. He popped a large piece of camembert in his mouth.

“That’s not true,” Tikki said, “Stop scaring her!”

“I’m sure you’re safe, Marinette,” Adrien said.

"Yeah, I'm sure I am." Hawk Moth would have come after her if she wasn't. And it had been two days. He most likely would have made a move. But he hadn't. And she believed Luka wouldn't betray her, even if he had been akumatized. "But the point is that I can't tell Luka I'm Ladybug. So he can't know about you."

"I know," Adrien said, "We'll find a way to make it work. I promise. All three of us can be happy together."

Marinette nodded. "Okay. I believe you." She smiled, even if her heart was aching. 

Adrien's was too. She could hear it in the song. But this was the best they could do, and they both knew it. 

"Luka doesn't know, right?" Adrien asked.

Marinette shook her head. "Juleka told me he forgot who his soulmate was. So I need to tell him."

"Then you should do that," Adrien said, "I'll still be here."

"I'm sorry," Marinette said.

"Why? You didn't do anything. You couldn't help or stop this. And you act like it's a bad thing. I'm happy for you, Marinette." He smiled. And there was genuine happiness for her in the song. But also sadness. A little worry. A hint of jealousy. 

"I love you," Marinette said, "Nothing is going to change that."

"I love you too," Adrien said. And he gave her a kiss. For a moment, she forgot her worries. She had Adrien. Despite all the confusing and chaotic events in her life, things would be okay. She just loved him so much.

Adrien took a step back. "Go tell Luka. He needs to know."

Marinette nodded. "Tikki?"

Her kwami floated by her side. "Ready when you are."

"I'm ready. Tikki, spots on!"

"I'll see you tomorrow, my lady," Adrien said. 

"See you tomorrow." She threw her yoyo out the window and took off. 

Things felt so right in his arms. And now, the world felt much colder. She hated hurting him, even if she didn't mean to. Even if he did understand. But things were going to be different now that Luka was in the picture. She just had to hope fate knew what it was doing when it gave her two soulmates.

She did a quick pass over the Couffaine houseboat before landing in an alley. "Spots off."

Marinette poked her head out. There was no one around but Luka was getting closer. The song was ecstatic. He'd heard her.

She walked to the houseboat but the gangplank was up. She didn't want to intrude, even if she was expected.

But she didn't have to wait long.

Luka literally ran out of the boat. He leapt over the gap between the boat and dock and pulled her into a hug. 

"I found you," he said.

Taken aback by his frenzied actions, it took a moment for Marinette to relax. He was usually so calm, yet the promise of his soulmate made him act so quickly. It made her feel wanted.

In his embrace, she felt good, even happy. The song was beating steadily, like an excited heartbeat. He was so happy to see her. So happy to know it was her. 

They were soulmates. How could Marinette ever debate rejecting him? His love made her feel warm. She returned the hug. "You found me."

They stayed like that, in the quiet of the night for some time. Eventually, it was Luka who spoke again. "I'm sorry I didn't come for you."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier," Marinette replied.

"It's okay. We're together now. I'm sorry but don't remember anything about finding out. I hope I didn't say anything nasty to you."

"It's okay. You really didn't. You were really nice to me," Marinette said. 

"Okay. Good. You're a special girl, Marinette. Clear as a musical note and sincere as a melody. You’re the music that’s been playing inside my head since the day we first met."

Marinette smiled. Silencer had said the same thing. "And you're the music in my head now too," She replied.

Luka leaned in.

Marinette leaned back. She knew what he wanted and she wasn't ready for that.

Luka noticed immediately. "I'm sorry." The song became sad.

"No, I'm sorry," Marinette said. She was embarrassed and ashamed. Luka was her soulmate but so was Adrien. And she didn't love Luka, not like that, not yet anyway. She wasn't ready and already felt guilty over it.

"It's okay," Luka said, "You don't have to rush into anything. We have the rest of our lives. We can move at your pace. Okay?"

"And you're not mad?" Marinette asked quietly.

He pulled her close. "How could I be mad? Half an hour ago, my soulmate could have been Bob Roth, for all I knew." 

Marinette couldn't help but giggle. The song took a happier tone. 

"But it's you. I couldn't be happier."

"Me too," Marinette lied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end for now. Don't worry, there is plenty more to come. Please subscribe to the series if you want to see what happens next to these three.   
> But for now, thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed the story. Thank you for your kudos and comments and I hope to see you in the next one. :)

**Author's Note:**

> If you'd like to see sneak previews of my upcoming works and get writing tips, please check out my writing blog: a-writing-trickster-angel.tumblr.com


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